Steamboat Telemark skier Lorin Paley 3rd in Norway

Steamboat Springs  A U.S. Telemark Ski Team “A” member for the first time at the age of 16 in 2008, Steamboat Springs teenager Lorin Paley has managed to stomp through a few barriers in her short career.

She did that again last weekend when she skied to her first podium finish in a Telemark World Cup event, coming in third in a Telemark classic race in Bjorli, Norway.

Not only was it the finish significant for Paley, the event was also a big one for the entire team. Paley became the first American to land on the podium since at least 2003.

She “skied beautifully,” coach Shane Anderson said in an e-mail.

Anderson coaches Telemark skiing with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and is a fellow Telemark World Cup participant.

“Just to finish the race took a lot of heart and skill,” he wrote. “She put it all together and had a great run.”

Classic Telemark races challenge skiers with a number of hurdles. There is a giant slalom course that features a jump — racers are scored for their style and distance — a super G section and a 360-degree round-about turn, known as a reipeløkke. Finally, there’s a short cross-country skiing sprint section.

Paley finished the course in 2 minutes, 17.40 seconds, behind champion Amelie Reymond, of Switzerland, in at 2:09.07, and Katinka Knudsen, of Norway, second at 2:14.09.

Also for the United States, Steamboat’s Erika Walters was 13th and Madi KcKinstry was 19th in the race. Anderson was 14th to lead the men in the classic division, ahead of Cory Snyder in 28th.

The team will remain in Europe competing before returning to the United States for a Steamboat-based World Cup event that starts Feb. 20.